Finnish antiaircraft training started in 1925 and first AA-unit was 1. Ilmatorjuntapatteri (1st Antiaircraft Battery) established in August next year. Finnish coastal artillery had been the first part of Finnish armed forces to get interested about shooting air-targets with guns and machineguns. This can be seen quite natural considering the situation it found itself in mid 1920's: Coastal artillery had large static fortifications to which fast developing aircraft was seen as potential new threat. Finnish antiaircraft weaponry and methods were developed little by little, but amount of acquired AA-weaponry remained much too small. Year 1937 Defence Ministry even sent circular letter to cities, towns, municipalities, industry and other communities offering them possibility to finance AA-weaponry and promising to issue the financed weaponry to units defending the area where the community was situated. But even this came too late. When Finnish AA-units were mobilised for wargames in summer of 1939 their weaponry situation was so poor that men of 34 units had to be sent home as there was no weaponry for them. Finland got more weaponry just before and during Winter War, but Finnish AA-defence remained so weak that almost all had to be concentrated for defending most vital areas of home front. This left Finnish frontline units with very little air-defence. New AA-units were created during Winter War and existing ones trained to use new weaponry. Basic method for training these units was first giving them basic training and then giving further training for them in unit already using the weaponry and other equipment similar to one that would be equipped with. This allowed these newly armed AA-units to get battle-ready in minimal amount of time after arrival of weaponry. During early part of Continuation War the focus of Finnish air-defence was with Field Army (Army units in front), as war progressed more and more units were concentrated back to home front. As a rule the largest calibre AA-weaponry Finnish frontline units had defending them were 40-mm, anything bigger was almost always used further away from front.

(Notice: During Winter War units such as this mixed this organisation as combination of 20 mm AA-guns and 7,62 mm AAMG proved in same platoon proved more effective).

Light Battery, 1939 - 1940:

2 - 3 x 40 mm Bofors AA-gun

Heavy AA-Battery, 1939 - 1945:

2 - 4 x heavy AA-guns (75 - 88 mm)

1 - 2 x AA-machinegun 7,62 mm

Central fire control machine (mechanical fire control computer)

Generally speaking heavy AA-battery followed that TO&E. Amounts of guns used heavy AA-battery varies depending model of guns used. And amount of antiaircraft-machineguns varied. Crew size of fire-control computer also varied depending model of FC-computer. Here is one example of actual unit:

Example:

Heavy AA-Battery with

3 x 75 ItK/30 AA-gun

2 x 7,62 mm AAMG

Gamma fire control computer:

Fire control Unit

FC Officer

FC NCO

FC computer team (at Gamma mechanical FC-computer)

Leader of FC computer

Vice-leader of FO computer

6 FC-equipment men

traverse setting man

elevation setting man

range setting man

3 readers (reading values coming from FC computer)

Telephone-duty men (receiving pre-warning about approaching aircraft)

3 men (act as backup-men of FC computer squads readers also)

Range measuring team (at rangefinder, 1 NCO + 4 men)

Measurer

Aimer

Reader

Observer

Assistant

Lookout and chemical weapons team (1 NCO + 3 men)

- also readers of FC team as lookouts when FC-computer not in use

Telephone team (3 men)

- handling phone and connections of FC-computer during battle.

Engine team (2 men)

- constantly on-duty, when not needed acted as loaders also.

Fire Battery (1 officer + 6 NCO + 30 men)

3 Gun crews (of 7 men)

Traverse setting man

Loader

Elevation setting man

Fuse time setting man

3 men carrying ammunition

Crews of AA-machineguns (2 NCO + 5 men)

Ammunition supply team (2 NCO + 3 men)

Ammunition supply NCO (acted also as gunsmith NCO)

3 Ammunition supply men

Supplies Team (2 NCO + 1 man)

Sergeant Major

Supplies NCO

Clerk (acted also as medical NCO)

Heavy 4-gun AA-Battery (Homefront), 1941:

AA-Battery Commander (pistol) [Captain]

Driver (passenger car + rifle)

Fire Control (FC) Unit

FC Officer (pistol) [2nd Lieutenant/Lieutenant]

FC Team

3 NCO + 12 men (rifles)

Observation and anti chemical weapons Squad

NCO + 3 men (rifles)

Telephone Squad

3 men (rifles)

AA-Gun Battery

Battery Officer (pistol) [2nd Lieutenant/Lieutenant]

2 AA-Gun Sections

In each AA-Gun Section

2 AA-Gun Crews

In each AA-Gun Crew

NCO + 8 men (75 - 76 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

AAMG Crew

NCO + 3 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Ammunition Supply Squad

Ammunition NCO (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

4 ammunition men (rifles)

Supplies Squad

Battery Sergeant major (pistol)

Clerk (rifle)

Medical NCO (pistol)

Truck driver (truck + rifle)

Heavy 3-gun AA-Battery (Homefront), 1941:

AA-Battery Commander (pistol)

Driver (passenger car + rifle)

Fire Control (FC) Unit

FC Officer (pistol)

FC Team

3 NCO + 12 men (rifles)

Observation and anti-chemical weapons Squad

NCO + 3 men (rifles)

Telephone Squad

3 men (rifles)

AA-Gun Battery

Battery Officer (pistol)

AA-Gun Section

3 AA-Gun Crews

In each AA-Gun Crew:

NCO + 8 men (75 - 76 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

2 AAMG Crews

In each AAMG Crew:

NCO + 3 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Ammunition Supply Squad

Ammunition NCO (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

4 ammunition men (rifles)

Supplies Squad

Battery Sergeant major (pistol)

Clerk (rifle)

Medical NCO (pistol)

Truck driver (truck + rifle)

Mobile Heavy AA-Battery of Field Army, 1941:

(Notice: Units of this type belonged to Finnish Army General HQ assets)

Battery Commander (pistol)

Driver/messenger (passenger car + rifle)

Fire Control (FC) Unit

FC Officer (pistol)

Drivers

5 drivers (3 FC trucks + passenger car + rifles)

FC Squad

3 NCO + 12 men (rifles)

Centre Team

3 men (rifles)

AA-Gun Battery

Battery Officer (pistol)

2 AA-Gun Sections

In each AA-Gun Section:

2 AA-Guns

AA-Gun Crew

NCO + 8 men (75 - 76 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

AA-Gun Crew

NCO + 8 men (75 - 76 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

Drivers for gun-towing trucks

5 truck drivers (4 trucks + rifles)

AAMG Section:

AAMG Crew

NCO + 3 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

AAMG Crew

NCO + 3 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Drivers for AAMG trucks

2 truck drivers (2 trucks + rifles)

Ammunition Supply Squad

Ammunition NCO (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

Ammunition men: 8 men (rifles)

Truck drivers: 6 men (5 ammunition trucks)

Supplies Section

Battery Sergeant major (pistol)

Clerk (rifle)

Supplies Squad

Supplies NCO (rifle)

Medical NCO (pistol)

Motor-vehicle NCO (rifle)

Shuemaker (rifle)

2 cooks (field kitchen + rifles)

3 truck drivers (2 supply trucks + rifles)

One of the two supply trucks does towing the field kitchen.

Light AA-Section (homefront), 1941:

Section Commander (pistol)

Distance Measuring Team

NCO + man (rifles)

Observation and telephone Team

NCO + 3 men (rifles) (*)

2 AA-Guns

AA-Gun Crew: NCO + 7 men (40 mm Bofors AA-Gun + rifles)

AA-Gun Crew: NCO + 7 men (40 mm Bofors AA-Gun + rifles)

AAMG Team

NCO + 3 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Supplies Team

Section Sergeant major (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

Truck driver (truck + rifle)

(*) 2 of the men with anti-chemical weapons training.

Mobile Light AA-Section (homefront), 1941:

AA-Section Leader (pistol) [2nd Lieutenant/Lieutenant]

Distance Measuring Team

NCO + man (rifles)

Observation and telephone Team

NCO + 3 men (rifles) (*)

AA-Gun Section

Section NCO (pistol)

2 AA-Guns

AA-Gun Crew: NCO + 7 men (40 mm Bofors AA-Gun + rifles)

AA-Gun Crew: NCO + 7 men (40 mm Bofors AA-Gun + rifles)

AAMG Team

NCO + 4 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Truck drivers

4 truck drivers (2 gun-towing trucks + 1 AAMG truck + rifles)

Supplies Squad

AA-Section Sergeant major (rifle)

Clerk/messenger (motorcycle + pistol)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

2 ammunition men (rifles)

Truck drivers

6 truck drivers (2 ammunition trucks + 1 supply truck + rifles)

Medical NCO (pistol)

Cook (rifle)

Shoemaker (rifle)

Supply truck used for towing the field kitchen.

(*) 2 of the men with anti-chemical weapons training.

AAMG Platoon (homefront), 1941:

Platoon Leader (pistol)

Distance Measuring Unit

2 men (rifles)

Observation and Telephone Team

3 men (rifles) (**)

2 AA-Gun Teams

In each AA-Gun Team:

NCO + 6 men (20 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

2 AAMG Teams

In each AA-Gun Team:

NCO + 4 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Supplies Team

Platoon Sergeant major (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

Truck driver (truck + rifle)

(**) Also anti-chemical weapons trained

Mobile Light AA-Battery of Field Army (1941):

Battery Commander (pistol) [Captain]

Driver (passenger car + rifle)

Signal Section

2 Telephone Teams, in each Telephone Team:

NCO + 6 men (rifles)

2 drivers for telephone-trucks (2 trucks + rifles)

2 AA-Gun Sections, in each AA-Gun Section:

Section Commander (pistol)

Distance Measuring Team

NCO + 1 man (rifles)

Observers

NCO + 3 men (rifles) (***)

Section NCO (rifle)

2 AA-Gun Crews, in each AA-Gun Crew:

NCO + 7 men (40 mm Bofors AA-Gun + rifles)

AAMG Crew

NCO + 4 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Truck drivers

4 truck drivers (2 gun-towing trucks + AAMG truck + rifles)

Supplies Section

Battery Sergeant major (pistol)

Clerk/messenger (motorcycle + pistol)

Ammunition Supply Squad

Ammunition NCO (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

4 ammunition men (rifles)

4 drivers for ammunition trucks (2 trucks + rifles)

Supplies Squad

Supplies NCO (rifle)

Medical NCO (rifle)

2 cooks (field kitchen + rifles)

Shoemaker (rifle)

Motor-vehicle NCO (rifle)

3 drivers (2 supply trucks + passenger car + rifles)

(***) 2 of the men with anti-chemical weapons training.

AA-Machinegun Company of Field Army (1941): (****)

Company Commander (pistol) [Captain]

Driver (passenger car + pistol)

3 AA-Gun Platoons

In each AA-Gun Platoon

Platoon Leader (pistol) [Lieutenant]

Distance Measuring Team

NCO + man (rifles) (*****)

Telephone Team

3 men (rifles)

Cook (rifle)

2 AA-Gun Squads, in each AA-Gun Squad:

AA-Gun Crew: NCO + 6 men (20 mm AA-Gun + rifles)

Truck driver (truck for towing AA-gun + rifle)

2 AAMG Squads, in each AAMG Squad:

AAMG Crew: NCO + 4 men (7.62 mm AAMG + rifles)

Truck driver (truck for transporting AAMG + rifle)

Supplies Platoon

Company Sergeant major (pistol)

Clerk/messenger (motorcycle + pistol)

Ammunition Supply Squad

Ammunition NCO (rifle)

Gunsmith (NCO) (rifle)

3 drivers for ammunition trucks (2 trucks + rifles)

Medical NCO (pistol)

Supplies Squad

Supplies NCO (rifle)

Motor-vehicle NCO (rifle)

Cook (field-kitchen + rifle)

Shoemaker (rifle)

2 drivers for supply trucks (2 trucks + rifles)

Strenght:

Officers: 4

NCO: 21

Men: 96

20-mm AA-Guns: 6

7.62 mm AAMG. 6

Rifles: 114

Pistols: 7

Trucks: 16

Passenger cars: 1

Motorcycles: 1

(*****) For some twisted reason Finnish Army liked to call 20-mm AA-Guns as heavy AA-machineguns in AA-organisations. I have changed this for other organisations, but kept it here not mix this organisations to other organisations. The reason behind this weard naming system might be in pre-WW2 plans of arming units such as these with 13 mm AAMG, which never reached mass-production.

Light AA-Battery of Field Army, 1941 - 1943:

(Notice: This unit was Army Corps level asset)

2 Sections, in each section:

2 x 40 mm Bofors AA-gun

1 x 7,62 mm AAMG

Notice: Around 1941 - 1943 each Finnish Army Corp had three of these light AA-batteries.